eNews for Thursday, September 15

9/15/2022

Campaign URL Copy

Twitter 0 tweets

View this email in your browser

eNews for Thursday, September 15

Look at all the veggies Tillie picked for the Soup Kitchen!

Worship Matters

We will gather online via Zoom and in person this Sunday, September 18 to worship together with our minister Drew Frantz, who will present “Celebration of Children, Parents and Teachers.” The Zoom call starts at 10:00 for social time, and the service starts at 10:30.

“Children are the promise of the future and a blessing for today, as John Denver said. We celebrate the families and children in our congregation, and all those who love them, teach them, and serve them. A special blessing goes to teachers and school board members who are under attack for promoting equity and inclusion.”

Zoom Invitation for Sunday, September 18
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 402489218

One tap mobile
+16468769923,,402489218#

Phone - audio only
+1 646 876 9923

Upcoming Services
September 25: Belonging

If you happen to miss being in worship, please check out our website sermon archive for sermon video and/or text.

Minister’s Column

Last week I wrote about using the wayside pulpit sign at UUFCM to announce events and to proclaim our values of love and justice in the world. Shortly after that, I saw an announcement from a UU colleague that their wayside pulpit had been vandalised.

Read more here.

COVID Update

We continue with hybrid services (in-person/Zoom). Our current policy is that everyone entering the building must be vaccinated (unless exempt), which applies to children also. Masks are optional for worship services and small group meetings.
Singing by the congregation and the choir is allowed with masks on.
Anyone vaccinated may attend services.
Small groups can meet in person if they wish, or continue meeting on Zoom – or do a mixture. This includes all of our teams and the Board itself. We will do our best to publish how meetings are going to be held, and please check with the leader of each meeting if you're not sure.
Indoor eating events are allowed – coffee hour, Friday night potlucks, and our annual Harvest Feast – as long as people are vaccinated.

Please be aware that the situation is fluid. We are monitoring the situation frequently, so stay tuned for updates.

Upcoming Events

Most meetings and events are hybrid (in-person/Zoom). Please contact the event or meeting leader if you are not sure. Event and meeting details and links can be found on the UUFCM Calendar.

- Sunday Worship
- Welcome to UU Orientation - Sunday, September 25 at 12:30 pm
- Sunday Stroll - Sundays in September at 12:30pm
- UUFCM Men’s Group - 1st Mondays at 7pm on Zoom
- Game Night - 3rd Mondays at 7pm
- Central Michigan Sangha - Tuesdays at 6:45pm
- UU Discussion Group - Wednesdays at 10am
- Choir Rehearsal - Wednesdays at 7pm
- First Friday Potluck - First Fridays at 6:30pm

All members and friends are welcome to attend our UUFCM Board meeting as well as the various team meetings that occur monthly. If you are interested in attending any specific team meeting, please contact the team leader for information.

Team Meetings
Youth RE Team - Sunday, September 18 at 6:00pm
COVID Task Force - Sunday, September 18 at 7:00pm
Communications Coord. Team - Monday, September 19 at 7:30pm

If you are interested in helping any of these teams or committees, please fill out the Volunteer Opportunity Form if you haven’t already.

Youth Religious Education Returns

After downtime in the summer, the religious education program has resumed in-person classes on Sunday mornings for school-aged children. Later this fall, we hope to offer child care for younger children as well.

September 18: Celebration of children, families, and teachers

Special Offering Collection - This Sunday

The Special Plate Offering collection this month is for Clothing, INC, a nonprofit organization in Mt. Pleasant that provides free clothing to anyone in need. You can donate online to the Social Justice Fund at our website or checks can be made out to UUFCM with “Clothing, INC” indicated in the memo line, and sent to UUFCM Treasurer, P.O. Box 41, Mt. Pleasant, MI, 48804-0041.

Come Write Letters with Us!

Come to our second letter-writing party on Saturday, September 17 at 2pm! Working with Vote Forward, we will be writing letters to citizens in underrepresented communities in Michigan encouraging them to vote in this important election cycle.

We will provide the instructions, letters, envelopes, stamps – and snacks! All you need to do is think about why you vote – perhaps prepare your 2-3 sentences ahead of time – and show up at the Fellowship Hall. Put Saturday, September 17 on your calendar!

CUUPs Mabon Ritual - September 18

The Covenant of UU Pagans will celebrate Mabon, the 2nd of the harvest festival on Sunday, September 18. This is the second time of the year to specifically commune with nature. The autumn equinox focuses on the cooler aspects of the summer solstice. The festival is represented by the harvest of corn, along with the other products in your garden that are ready to be harvested. We will hold the ritual promptly at 6pm, in person only, and there will be no potluck.

Field Trip to the Jim Crow Museum

Friday, September 23

12:45pm - meet at UUFCM
1pm - depart (car-pooling) for Big Rapids
2-4pm - visit museum
5-6pm - reflection and discussion at UUFCM with pizza dinner

Join fellow UUFCM members and friends as we explore and reflect on the provocative collection known as the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia at Ferris State University in Big Rapids. As their website explains, “The Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia is the nation's largest publicly accessible collection of artifacts of intolerance. The Museum contextualizes the dreadful impact of Jim Crow laws and customs. The Museum uses objects of intolerance to teach tolerance and promote a more just society.”
Please contact Norma Bailey (baile1nj@cmich.edu) with questions and/or to sign up so that we can organize the carpooling.

Deep Dive and Relational Organizing

September 22 at 7-8pm via Zoom

Nomi Joyrich, a MUUSJN consultant, will present a deep dive into all three statewide ballot proposals and training in relational organizing on Thursday, September 22, 7:00-8:00 pm via Zoom. The deep dive is to help all of us have a deeper understanding of the various aspects of the ballot proposals, and the relational organizing training is a structured way for us to reach out to our own network - family, friends, neighbors, barber, people at the gym, colleagues, etc. – to educate them and get them to vote. Please plan on attending to help achieve the results we need in this most important midterm election! We will be joined by five other UU congregations, and feel free to invite your non-UU friends.

Worship Retreat and Training

Saturday, September 24

10-12pm - training for anyone interested in improving their worship skills
Rev. Drew will lead exercises to make you feel more comfortable reading from the pulpit, handling the technology in our sanctuary, and understanding the various elements that make up Unitarian Universalist worship services. This is intended for anyone who has been part of leading worship or would like to be involved. No experience necessary!

12-1pm - lunch provided by UUFCM Worship Team
All are welcome.

1-2pm - long-term planning for the coming year of worship
We will brainstorm about the themes and topics that we would like to see in the 2022-23 year of Sunday worship, planning for services that are minister-led, lay-led, collaborative, and/or multigenerational. Bring your ideas and your calendar. This is intended for those who may lead a worship service and for anyone who has new ideas for the worship team in their planning.

Movie Night - September 24

A prominent white doctor and a talented black lab technician challenge the archaic belief you don’t touch the heart even when it could save the lives of the blue babies who seldom survived past their first birthday. Battling the Jim Crow attitudes and the Church’s notion you do not interfere with the Lord’s plan, Alan Rickman and Mos Def star in Something The Lord Made. Based on true events. Join us Saturday, September 24 at 7pm. Snacks will be provided.

Share Your Soles!

You all donated 89 pairs of shoes and boots this month, for a total of 221 so far this year! Thanks so much for your donations, and keep them coming! Clothing, INC also sends their thanks for the supply of shoes and boots that are so needed, especially for the winter coming.

Sunday Strolls in September

September 18 & 25 - Millpond Park
Meet at the pavilion at 12:30 on 607 S. Adams St.

Questions? Call or text Jen Prout at 989-400-3130.

Anti-Racism Small Group Discussion Series

Thursdays, October 6 - November 3 @ 7pm

This program is intended for people with white privilege to confront and dismantle the (often unconscious) racism within themselves, opening the way to reducing harm and increasing harmony everywhere in their lives. We will use the workbook “Me and White Supremacy” by Layla Saad which guides us through 28 days of daily reflection and journaling. In our weekly small group meetings, we will strive to create a safe space to share and reflect with each other. The workbook will be provided, and participants are invited to make a donation to offset the cost. Please contact Drew to sign up or to ask any questions.

• • • Community News • • •

Let Peace Reign

Isabella County Human Rights Committe
Saturday, September 17 at Island Park Arts Pavilion from 4-7pm
Family-friendly event to celebrate International Day of Peace. There will be a Peace walk through Island Park as well as an introduction to our first “Human Library.” So, bring a lawn chair or blanket! Food vendors will be available as well as music and arts and crafts. Come and meet others from your community.

A Rally to Protect Democracy

We are all invited to a rally on Wednesday, September 21, at noon on the State of Michigan Capitol steps. Sponsored by Inclusive Justice of Michigan, it is a rally for full equality for all people.

Hispanic Heritage Month at CMU

Join us as we #celebrate #educate #advocate and #activate diversity education at CMU. Download the flyer for complete information.

Anishanabe Art

Olga Denison Collection
at the Clarke Historical Library, CMU
The Olga Denison Collection of Anishinabe art largely represents the contemporary expression of many traditional native crafts…
View the collection online here.

Extension of Expiration Dates of COVID Home Tests

If you ordered free COVID home tests from the U.S. government, it’s important to check the expiration dates. If they appear to have expired, the government has reassessed and extended many of those dates. Check here.

Donate Now!

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan is funded solely by its members and friends.

For your convenience, you can make a donation electronically with the button below, or via the GivePlus Church App. Please consider the option of offsetting the cost to the Fellowship for providing the convenience of making an online donation.

If you prefer not to donate electronically, you may also write a check payable to UUFCM and send it to: UUFCM, P.O. Box 41, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48804-0041

Together We Grow!

Got News?
The deadline for submissions to
the Order of Service Insert and the UUFCM weekly eNews
is Tuesday at 5:00 p.m.
Please send all submissions to admin@uufcm.org.

Drew’s Contact Information

Please contact Drew via email, phone, or text.
minister@uufcm.org
Phone/text: 440-935-0129

UUFCM Board of Trustees for 2022-2023
President: Stacey Pattison (989.330.1832; staceyp555@gmail.com)
Past-President: Norma Bailey (989.560.3952; normabailey.uufcm@gmail.com)
President Elect: Cynthia Damer (989.506.5750; ckdamer@gmail.com)
Treasurer: Terrie Robbie (989.400.2495; tlrobbie1@gmail.com)
Secretary: Elaine Emerick (989.621.6063; ebundy84@gmail.com)
Trustee: Victoria Sladek (989.506.7039; victoriasladek@gmail.com)
Trustee: Debbie Reid (989.854.9830; debbiereiduufcm@gmail.com)
Trustee: Penny Swart (989.330.3587; ps.unicm@gmail.com)

Team and Committee Leaders

Adult Religious Education Team - Jodi Fisher
Building, Grounds & Safety Team - Norma Bailey
Communications Coordinating Team - Debbie Reid
Fellowship Life Coordinating Team - Gisela Moffit
Membership - Laura McBride
Arms Around - Gisela Moffit
Welcome & Hospitality - Gisela Moffit
Social Fun - Jen Prout
Social Justice Coordinating Team - Norma Bailey
Worship Team - Drew Frantz
Youth Religious Education (RE) Team - Jenny Kennedy
Anti-Racism Task Force - Norma Bailey
Coronavirus Task Force - Drew Frantz

We are a
religious community
guided by love,
transforming our lives
and our world.

Copyright © 2022 Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan. All rights reserved.

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Comments are closed.